TERRELL, Texas — In the small city of Terrell, something big is happening. A new 1,500-unit housing community is in the first stages of construction.
The development, which will be named Northspur, sits about 10 minutes from downtown Terrell. It will sit just off U.S. Highway 80 near Spur 557 across 700 acres.
Terrell City Manager Mike Sims said the new community will help launch the city forward.
“Kaufman County is the fastest-growing county in the U.S., and we're right in the middle of it,” said Sims.
The new development will also have a grocery store, several retail stores and a nature trail.
Sims said currently, there are roughly 20,000 people who live in Terrell. He said the city projects there to be 43,000 by 2045.
According to data on the city website, there were roughly 13,000 people who called Terrell home in 2000.
Sims credits major businesses like Buc-ee's moving into the area for this rapid growth. It opened in June of 2015.
"We want people who move here, new, to also have a chance to grow families here and live here for a very long time,” Sims said.
Sims said the Houston real estate investor company Hines is one of the groups behind the development. The company M/I Homes & Impression Homes will construct the first houses.
The new development is already getting a warm welcome from other businesses in town.
Avery Shaw is the owner of the Terrell Coffee Company and music store in downtown Terrell. She just opened the music store in January.
“It's important for our city to grow so people can thrive here,” said Shaw.
Shaw said she welcomes the new development because it allows the city to have more foot traffic and more business for small business owners. "We're ready,” she said. “That's why we opened a business here, we await the growth.”
Sims said the city expects the homes to be ready for purchase by this fall, and ready to move in by April 2025.